ON THE SHELF: Nonfiction titles for mind, body and soul

Published 9:00 am Sunday, October 9, 2022

This column was submitted by Evangeline Cessna, Local History Librarian at the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library.

This week’s column features some of the New Adult Nonfiction we have in our collection.

Bestselling author and minister Max Lucado teaches us that we can find fresh strength and purpose in the power of the Holy Spirit in his latest book “Help Is Here.” Perhaps now, more than ever, we are weary from the loads we carry and the trials we face. We never expected to grow so tired so quickly in our lives. The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit more than 100 times. Jesus himself says more about the Spirit than he does about the Church, marriage, finances and the future. But do we really know the Holy Spirit? In this book, Max gives us the tools and encouragement we need to:

  • Learn who the Spirit is and how the Spirit can help you.
  • Become joyful, enthusiastic and empowered in your relationship with God.
  • Confidently take on any difficulties with the power of the Spirit.
  • Discover your own unique gifts and purpose in furthering God’s kingdom.

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This book is meant to remind us that our Good Shepherd doesn’t just feed us; he leads us. He does more than correct us; he directs us. God has commissioned the Holy Spirit to guide us down the winding roads of life, wherever they may lead us.

Author John T. McGreevy explains the centuries-old conflict between “progress” and “tradition” in the world’s largest international institution in his book, “Catholicism.” The history of Roman Catholicism has never followed a singular path. The past two centuries, however, highlights that truth the most. Beginning with the French Revolution, extending to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and concluding with today’s crises, the author chronicles the dramatic upheavals and internal divisions shaping the most multicultural, multilingual and global institution in the world. He documents the hopes and ambitions of European missionaries building churches and schools in all corners of the world, African Catholics fighting for political and religious independence, Latin American Catholics attracted to a theology of liberation, and Polish and South Korean Catholics demanding democratic governments. McGreevy also details currents of reform within the Church as well as movements protective of traditional customs and beliefs. Conflicts with political leaders and a devotional revival in the nineteenth century, the experiences of decolonization after World War II and the Second Vatican Council in the twentieth century, and the dark blight of clerical sexual abuse in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries all demonstrate how religion has and continues to shape our modern world.

“American Demon” is the latest by Daniel Stashower. Not long after his mob-busting days in Chicago, Eliot Ness was appointed director of public safety in Cleveland, Ohio. Ness had come to Cleveland right after he and his band of “Untouchables” led the frontline assault on Al Capone’s bootlegging empire. On Sept. 5, 1934, a young beachcomber made a gruesome discovery on the shores of Lake Erie: the lower half of a female torso, neatly severed at the waist. This victim, dubbed “The Lady of the Lake,” was only the first of a butcher’s dozen. Over the course of four years, twelve more bodies would be found scattered across the city. Each one was dismembered with surgical precision and drained of blood. Some were even beheaded while still alive. The city was gripped by horror. This case would come to redefine Ness’s storied career. This was a sadistic killer who was as brilliant as he was calm and collected, a mastermind hiding in plain sight.

Gerontologist and dementia care consultant Rachael Wonderlin delivers a compassionate book to help friends and family members of those living with dementia answer the tough questions with “The Caregiver’s Guide to Memory Care and Dementia Communities.” Using practical, down-to-earth language, Wonderlin walks readers through the key points about dementia care, including:

  • Common terminology used by healthcare workers.
  • Strategies for taking care of your loved one.
  • Advice for when and how to transition to a dementia care community.
  • Understanding how dementia care communities are structured and what to keep in mind when evaluating them.
  • How to help your loved ones receive the best possible care while they’re living apart.
  • Recommendations for handling obstacles involving communication and behavioral issues.
  • Information on technology, hospice care, programming and activities and at-home safety.

Each chapter also has a dedicated section for help in applying the principles to your own experience, while worksheets present you with questions to consider as part of the caregiving and assessment process.

In “The Job Closer,” Steve Dalton helps you seal the deal by applying his time-saving techniques to help you get the job you want. As a career consultant, Dalton has found that job seekers routinely overinvest in the trivial aspects of the employment hunt while underestimating the important ones. He helps job seekers nail the answer to “Tell me about yourself,” write efficient cover letters and answer, “Why this company or job,” and craft compelling interview stories and deploy them in a powerful way. His tips and tricks will take the awkwardness out of asking for more salary and leave you with more time for networking, making meaningful connections and showcasing your unique talents.